Titanic: The Aftermath
by Anna Summers
Summary: After the Titanic sinks, Rose goes to live with Molly Brown. Jack, after a miraculous escape, is desperate to find Rose. Will they ever reunite? Please Read and Review
1. Carpathia

I was sitting on a bench on the lower-deck of the Carpathia, rethinking my night of hell. I couldn't feel my toes or my fingers, but I could feel the feeling of absolute helplessness. What was I going to do? The love of my life, the one I vowed I could not live without, was gone. How could I have been so selfish? I remember thinking, he should have lived, not me. He had so much more to live for, so many more gifts then I had. The only thing I had left was his promise, one of which I would never let go of.  
  
One familiar face nearly made my heart leap for joy, but the feeling quickly faded back into dread when I recognized it. It was Cal, pacing the deck slowly, no doubt looking for me, or Jack. But Jack was nowhere to be found, and I hid my face from Cal beneath my blanket.  
  
That's the last time I ever saw him. He married, of course, and inherited his millions. But, the crash of '29 hit his interest hard, and he put a pistol in his mouth that year, or so I read.  
  
A steward came by, taking names of the survivors.  
  
"Can I take your name please, love?"  
  
"Dawson," was all that came out, "Rose Dawson."  
  
"Thank you."  
  
It wasn't official, it never would be, but in my mind, Dawson would have been my last name if that dreadful "unsinkable ship" hadn't sunk. It ruined everything.  
  
The Carpathia docked, and the still halfway frozen passengers of the deceased Titanic were told to leave the boat. Many were visibly eager to finally rejoin their feet with dry land, but not me. I trudged slowly, alone.  
  
I caught sight of my mother crying, Cal had obviously informed her of my absence from the Carpathia, meaning I was dead. I was dead to my family. A pain in my heart tried to persuade me to run to her and have her hold me, like she had held me when my father was still alive. After he passed away, she had obtained a strict, unloving touch and was no longer kind towards me. All she cared about, it seemed, was money and her future, not mine.  
  
I looked to my right and saw Molly Brown, alone. I suddenly realized that she alone, besides Jack, had been kind to me the entire trip. She was like a mother figure. I stepped towards her, but then hesitated. Would she bring me back to my mother? Would my whole life pick up the way it seemingly ended with the sinking of the Titanic? If that was the case, I swore I would kill myself, and Jack would not be there to save me that time. But there was the promise I made to him - That I would never let go of life. I would not disrespect Jack. I would live my life, no matter how hopeless things seemed.  
  
I made another step towards Molly, and spoke my first words since I had proclaimed my unofficial married name to the steward.  
  
"Molly." I said hoarsely.  
  
She turned around and stared, astonished. Tears sprung to her eyes and she took a step forward as she studied me, as if making sure I was real.  
  
"Rose.You're-alive." Molly choked.  
  
I couldn't help it. I ran to her, I embraced her. I hugged that woman like I would never let go of her. I looked into her big brown eyes.  
  
"Don't tell my mother, please, Mrs. Brown."  
  
"Darling, I'll do whatever you want. You can come stay with me-I have plenty of room--," she gasped suddenly, "Oh, Rose. Where's Jack?"  
  
My eyes welled up with tears, but I held them back, Molly saw this and realized the worst. Jack Dawson was dead. She tightened her embrace, and the warmth of her large body surrounded me like a pillow. Molly Brown was the only person I had left - the only one left who would love me. 


	2. Jack Breathes Again

Jack opened his eyes and tried to breathe. He was underwater. Saltwater filled his lungs. Cold saltwater. He used the remaining strength that he had to kick his way as far as he could to the top. It was black as night, he couldn't see anything. He nearly gave up, and then he remembered..  
  
Rose.  
  
A sudden force of strength came from inside his frozen muscles. His legs gave out, and he tried to paddle to the top of the water using his arms. He thought his lungs were going to burst, but he kept Rose's face in his mind until finally, he felt the cold night air on his wet face. He took an enormous breath, gasping for air.  
  
Jack looked ahead at the headboard floating in the water near him, the one that Rose had been on. She was gone. He frantically looked around. Where was his Rose? Where was she? He could not go on without her.where was she?  
  
He saw a light in the distance. It was a boat. His heart leapt for joy, but then horror struck his cold body. Rose was on that boat. She had thought he was dead, and she had gotten in the boat.  
  
"But I'm not dead!" he thought. He tried yelling, "ROSE!", but nothing came out. Nothing. His voice was gone. - Just like his Rose. But, she wasn't dead. She was going to keep her promise to him. He knew it. He knew Rose DeWitt Bukater.  
  
The boat shrunk into the distance, and Jack was prepared for the worst, to die alone. He climbed aboard the headboard numbly, and silently prayed.  
  
"Can anyone hear me?" it was a voice, with a light. Jack turned his head, as his hair crunched sickeningly, encrusted with ice. It was a boat. Another boat - Jack's eyes welled with tears. He wasn't going to die tonight. He was going to find Rose---If it was the last thing he ever did. 


	3. You Cry Now

Molly cooperated wonderfully, hiding my face from my mother. I caught sight of my mother again, her face streamed with tears - a look of sheer sadness on her face. It broke my heart, but her looks were only skin deep. I couldn't help but thinking that the only reason she cried so hard that day was that she had no other children to marry and inherit money that would keep her out of the Seamstress shop. Molly glanced at Ruth as we passed by and whispered in my ear.  
  
"She really does love you, Rose." I looked at her terrified. She couldn't change her mind now; she had to take me away.  
  
"But, I see where you're coming from-No rash decisions now, you've been through enough as it is."  
  
Molly and I finally stepped off the boat, and I breathed a sigh of relief. It was a miraculous feeling to be on ground that didn't move when you walked - or tilt as you tried to. I looked back for a moment and saw the ocean in front of me again. I lost my balance.  
  
"Rose, darlin, it's alright." Molly caught me.  
  
"The ocean." I sputtered out weakly.  
  
"Don't look at it.Look away."  
  
I couldn't look away. Somewhere in that big blue ocean was my Jack - the body of my Jack. I would never see him again. Never.  
  
Molly led me to her car, where her chauffer was waiting with the door open.  
  
"Good to see you again, Eric." Molly greeted the chauffer.  
  
"No bags today, Ma'am?"  
  
"They were all lost son - I'm not complaining. It's my life I cherish."  
  
"Yes ma'am. It was a difficult night for you, I'm sure. Who is your friend?"  
  
Molly gestured towards me. "This is Miss Rose DeWitt Buk-"  
  
"Dawson." I cut her off, "I'm Rose Dawson."  
  
Molly looked at me, trying to figure me out. She finally gave up and smiled again.  
  
"She's had a more difficult night than anyone, Eric. She'll be staying with me for a while."  
  
"Of course, ma'am."  
  
I caught sight of my reflection in the rear-view mirror. I looked shockingly terrible, my face a ghostly white, my hair broken from the ice, and my eyes red from the tears I'd shed over my lost love. We entered the car, and I nearly lost my breath again.  
  
The rose lamps in the corners, the blue cushioned seats - it was the same model and color of the car Jack and I had made love in. I felt light- headed, and I fought back tears again. Molly put her arm around me when we sat down.  
  
"You don't have to be so brave Rose,"  
  
"But I do, Molly. Jack would have wanted.." And I lost it. The tears came; there was no stopping them. I hated crying in front of people, the saltwater tears sliding down my face were rival enemies to the saltwater that had taken the 1500 peoples' lives early this morning.  
  
"Shh, Rose. You cry now. You've been through more hell in one night than I've experienced in a lifetime."  
  
I cried and cried, my head on Molly's lap. Then I drifted off, dreaming of Jack - the party he had taken me too.the way his artists fingers drew my picture.the flying. 


	4. He Will Find Her

The first thing Jack remembered when he woke up was that he could feel his body again. He moved his toes and fingers about, before stopping and talking aloud.  
  
"Where's Rose?" His voice was raspy and his throat hurt. He looked from side to side, but was forced to look straight ahead again because of an excruciating headache. He closed his eyes.  
  
"Where is she?" he whispered.  
  
"Quiet now, sir." A woman's voice came from his left. He turned his entire body, using much of his limited energy to see where the voice was coming from. A pair of kind, brown eyes stared back at him.  
  
"Where am I?"  
  
"You're at the nurse's quarters on the Carpathia, sir. You just barely escaped death, consider yourself very lucky. You've got a nasty case of frostbite in your legs, but fortunately, I doubt either of them will need to be amputated."  
  
"Where are the other passengers?"  
  
"They're nearly finished shuffling them off, sir."  
  
He tried to get up, but the pain from his head and limbs brought him down.  
  
"Sir! You're in no condition to leave!"  
  
"I have to find Rose. I have to find out if she's alive."  
  
"Well, sir. I have the list of survivors right here. What's her name?"  
  
"Rose DeWitt Bukater."  
  
"Alright. Let me look under the Ds."  
  
"Thank you."  
  
"Sorry, sir. The only DeWitt Bukater I have listed is Ruth."  
  
Jack became frantic, "Hockley, try Hockley." Maybe Rose had gone on and decided to marry Cal as a desperate decision. The blonde nurse checked the list again.  
  
"Caledon Hockley, sir. That's the only one. Now, please, lie down. You've had a tough night, sir."  
  
At that point, Jack just wanted to die. A tear slid down his cheek. Rose hadn't been alive after all. Then why wasn't she there? Why hadn't she been on the board? She had to be alive.  
  
The nurse left the small room for a moment, and Jack looked around. There were two children lying in a bottom bunk, while a man lay on the top bunk. He caught sight of the list again, which the nurse had left. The papers had shifted themselves, and the D section was face up. He caught sight of his last name, there were around ten Dawsons, and Jack saw his first name, then froze when he noticed another name.  
  
Rose Dawson.  
  
Could it be true? Jack took the list with his pink fingers and stared. Rose Dawson. It had to be her. Jack cried tears of joy, and the nurse entered and asked what was wrong.  
  
"She's alive, ma'am. She made it."  
  
"Glad to hear it, sir. Please, lie back."  
  
Jack obeyed and fell into a sleep knowing that his Rose was okay. He was going to find her. He loved her. 


	5. Sleep and Tea

As told to me by my mother, Molly's husband had "struck gold someplace out west", and Molly had become rich seemingly overnight. It had been near two years since her husband's wealth had increased, and she had small cottages in several parts of America already, one coincidentally in New York. She compared her money spending to a ravenous wolf that hadn't eaten in weeks.  
  
"Haven't had much money all my life, Rose." She explained, "Figure I might as well make the most of it while I'm rich." I couldn't argue with that.  
  
On our way to her house, Molly talked seemingly nonstop, though I only halfway listened. I did find out, however, that we would be taking the train to her larger house in California after I was "fully recovered." What she didn't realize is that a broken heart does not mend in a few weeks.  
  
I suppose I drifted off again listening to Molly talk, because my eyes suddenly opened when the car jerked to a stop.  
  
"Welcome home, Miss Rose." Molly's soothing voice said into my ear. I looked at her and returned her smile weakly, as Eric helped us out of the car.  
  
Molly showed me to my room; it was a small, yet beautiful, room with a red floral print on the queen-sized bed and the curtains. A bed had never looked better to me, and I gapped at it longingly. Once again, Molly seemed to read my mind.  
  
"I'm sure you're tired, Rose. If you want, you can rest a bit. I'll tell Michael, our butler, to make us some tea."  
  
It could have been the way she said "our" butler that made me feel uncomfortable. It was Molly's butler, not mine. Oh, but all was forgotten as soon as I flopped myself onto the bed, its sheets surrounding me. I fell asleep almost upon contact with the comfortable mattress. Sleep came surprisingly fast, but the screams...I couldn't forget them. And I couldn't forget Jack.  
  
I didn't want to forget Jack.  
  
*****  
  
I jerked awake breathing uncontrollably fast, hyperventilating. I tried screaming, but nothing came out. Closing my eyes and trying to get my breathing back to normal, I let the dream I had just had play over in my mind.  
  
It was Jack.  
  
It seemed he was all I thought about lately, who could blame me? I swore I'd need counseling; it would be a long road before I could fully recover. True, I had only known him a few days, but by then, I was a firm believer of love at first sight.  
  
I furrowed my brow, trying to remember, as the dream slipped away from my grasp and soon, there was nothing. The only thing I knew is Jack's face had surrounded my mind, leaving me feeling warmth...but somehow he had been taken away from me again...and he would never come back.  
  
Never.  
  
I blinked and let the tears fall from my eyes. What was I going to do without him? It was a question I had been thinking about ever since he whispered his last words to me...Never let go. I'm sure by that time, he knew that he was a goner; why else would he have told me to live? He didn't say "together"...oh, curse the ocean.  
  
There was a small tea set on the end table next to the bed. I assumed Molly had come in, because I also had a blanket atop of me that I had not had when I had fallen asleep.  
  
I reached across the bed to the table and shakily poured myself a cup of fresh, hot tea. I lifted it to my lips and blew absently, thinking to myself. The last time I had had tea had been on the Titanic with my mother. I wondered if I'd ever miss her in years to come. She was a witch at times, but she was my mother. She wouldn't come look for me; I was dead to her.  
  
I sipped the teacup and felt the warm liquid travel down inside my body; what a wonderful feeling. I hadn't even bothered to stir in lemon, as I liked it. The taste didn't matter. I was focused on the warmth.  
  
Molly knocked softly on my door and walked in.  
  
"You're awake." She smiled as she spoke quietly. "How's the tea?"  
  
"Wonderful." I smiled at her faintly as I took another sip. She walked over and sat on my bed.  
  
"Molly --," I began, "This...all of this...is way to much. You're being much too kind. I don't deserve this."  
  
But, Molly held up a hand to silence me, "Rose, I won't desert you. You deserve it plenty. I'm just thrilled that you're alive."  
  
She seemed lost in thought for a moment, then whispered.  
  
"It was a hell of a night, wasn't it?"  
  
I sighed and nodded. A hell of a night.  
  
*** 


End file.
